Kraft’s sneaky mac’n’cheese recipe change had everyone fooled

TWEAKING a popular product even the tiniest bit has been a disaster for the likes of Vegemite, Milo and Cadbury Creme Egg.

So they might want to learn from Kraft, which has set a new bar in public relations.

The US brand wanted to make its mac’n’cheese healthier and remove the artificial yellow dye. But they knew from painful experience that customers are highly sensitive to change.

So it did something very sneaky. It quietly changed the recipe without telling anyone, and then revealed what it had done with a massive marketing campaign taglined: “It’s changed. But it hasn’t.”

Kraft wanted to please a growing section of the market that is moving towards healthier, less processed food. It even announced the plan to remove all synthetic colours, flavours and preservatives from its mac and cheese last April.

Straight after the announcement, there were a few complaints the product tasted different — but it hadn’t changed yet. The dissenters were silenced.

Kraft then secretly moved ahead with the shift, without telling anyone exactly when it was happening. The iconic bright yellow dye was replaced with a mixture of paprika, annatto and turmeric.

And no one noticed. Kraft has now revealed its big win, having sold more than 50 million boxes across the US without anyone complaining. The manipulation has succeeded.

The company didn’t admit it was changing its mac’n’cheese until everyone had eaten it.

NO CHANGE, PLEASE

Changing the formula of a fan favourite is a surefire way to anger customers, as many brands have learned the hard way. Whether it’s the ingredients, size, shape, packaging or even name, consumers are very protective when it comes to their most beloved treats.

When Nestle removed the vanilla flavour from the New Zealand recipe for Milo last year, there was uproar. Parents claimed their kids refused to eat the new version, and one shopper started a Facebook campaign to change it back.

Nestle also felt the wrath of Australian customers last year, when they changed the recipe for the Nescafe Cafe Menu range. Caffeine-craving fans vented their fury on Nescafe’s Facebook page. “Sorry but this ‘new’ recipe for this once delicious coffee is just horrendous,” wrote Tiffany Jackson.

Last Easter, Cadbury changed the recipe for its Creme Egg in the UK, replacing the popular Dairy Milk shell with a “standard” cocoa mix. Marketing manager Claire Low told The Grocer that despite the change, the fundamentals of Cadbury Creme Egg “remain exactly the same”.

But customers disagreed, saying the new egg was sweeter and “tastes cheap”.

Creme Eggs went on to lose more than $12 million in the 2015 Easter period.

Even way before social media in 1985, when Coca-Cola changed its flagship soft drink to “New Coke”, the American public were hugely unhappy. The company reintroduced its original formula as “Coca-Cola Classic” and sales spiked, leading to speculation the whole thing was a marketing ploy.

Cadbury Creme Egg had less success when it changed its chocolate in the UK last year.Source:News Corp Australia

Kraft itself is no stranger to such controversy, and secret tweaks have become its modus operandi.

In 2014, customers complained that the Vegemite recipe had quietly been changed to a more bitter formula, replacing barley yeast with a combination of wheat and barley yeast.

“Shame on you Mondelez (Kraft), how dare you mess with an Australian icon?” wrote one user on a change.org petition.

“BITTER BITTER BITTER,” said another. “What have you done?”

In August 2013, it sneakily altered its Easy Mac microwaved snack recipe, removing processed cheese and replacing it with flavoured cheese sauce powder, a move branded an “epic fail” with consumers saying it resembled “plastic” and “vomit”.

After sales plummeted, Kraft reverted to the original less than a year after the switch.

But this time, its cunning plan has worked — and the brand is loudly celebrating the trick it has played on customers.

The company has rolled out adverts starring TV host Craig Kilborne and the hashtag #didntnotice.

What can anyone do now but get on board?

There was fury over a change to Nescafe’s Cafe Menu range.Source:Supplied

How to make healthy Mac and Cheese 3:30

Love Mac and Cheese but hate all the diet breaking aspects of it? Well fear not! We've put together an easy, healthy, and TASTY Mac and Cheese recipe! Here's what you'll need:Salt and pepper, spinach, Whole Wheat Macaroni Noodles,Cheese, Medium Pan.
Start by filling your pan about 2/3 of the way and add a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, soft but firm! Drain the pan but save ~1 cup of the water. Add your cheese to the pot along with one tablespoon of water at a time while stirring up the cheese is nice and melted.Toss in your spinach (remember to wash if it's not pre-washed!) and stir until everything is nice and mixed and you're done!